By Lawrence Powell | LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Published Jun 01, 2025

Lawrencetown’s Phil Milo was selling hand-forged fireplace pokers made from old hay rake tines. Tina Wood of nearby Paradise had a number of her handmade quilts on display. And Hiren Mistry had samples of his spices on his table.

They were just three of the 26 vendors at the first Your Valley Farmers Market at the Annapolis Valley Exhibition grounds in Lawrencetown on May 26. Add entertainment by C.C. Grace, a couple of food trucks, a large and appreciative crowd, and market manager Katie Tovey had a big smile on her face.

“I feel great about the first day,” she said as vendors showed their wares to a steady stream of customers. “I really like how many people have come out. Yeah, I hope we can keep the momentum of having that many people.”

Vendors came from across the Valley, offering everything from freshly roasted coffee, bedding plants, and fresh greens, to handmade jewelry, books by Valley writers, and freshly baked goods.

Place is packed

Exhibition manager Krista Grear was happy with the first-day turnout too.

“Oh my gosh, the response has been incredibly positive, incredibly positive,” she said shortly after the market opened. “We must be close to 30 vendors now. It’s, you know, 10 minutes after we’ve opened and the place is packed.”

Grear said the social media response was incredible during the past few months.

“I think we’re over 600 followers and that was before we even opened the market, right?” she said. “So, the response has been excellent.”

Grear became exhibition manager in 2024 after moving to Lawrencetown in 2017.

“I thought, ‘What a great space,’” she said. “It seemed to me that there had been a market at some point in time in the history of the village, but not since I had moved here – and this was the perfect spot for it. We have lots of space. We’re very accessible. We’re right on the main route. So, it just seemed to make sense that after my first year of exhibition was over, it was time to add some new programs here on the grounds.”

Room to grow

Both Grear and Tovey said the market has plenty of room to grow.

“We have room for more vendors,” Grear said. “We have – I don’t want to say unlimited space – but we’ve got quite a lot of space here. We can totally accommodate (more vendors). There’s lots of room for growth.”

And Tovey said growth is the intent.

“We’re always going to have about 20 vendors,” she said. “Today, we have 26 vendors, but hopefully we get more because we want more outside and we plan to have a kids play zone as well outside. And hopefully more food trucks.”

She said the eventual goal is for a year-round farm market.

“This is just kind of our let’s see how the community likes it, see how much they want it, and if they really want it, and if we have the vendors to go through the winter season,” she said. “It’s not going to be this winter, but it might be next winter that we start the full year.”

And why a Monday market?

“Honestly, who doesn’t want something fun to do on a Monday? Everyone dreads a Monday,” Tovey said. “Now they have something to look forward to on a Monday.”

Showcasing the Valley

Valley Ex president Anne Callanan said the market was a success thanks to the hard work of Tovey and Grear. She said she enjoyed chatting with people and seeing what they were buying.

“We’re showcasing what the Valley has to offer and encouraging shopping local is so important in today’s economic climate,” she said. “The exhibition grounds is a welcoming place where people can come together not just for one week of the year. Community, tradition, and family coming together is what it’s all about.”

Tovey said there will be a new page on the Annapolis Valley Exhibition website that will list vendors each week.

Need to know

Your Valley Farmers Market

What – A new farmers market that began May 26 at the Annapolis Valley Exhibition grounds in Lawrencetown.

Where – The market is held in the Demonstration Building.

When – The market takes place each Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. until Oct. 6.

Free – There is plenty of free parking and there is no admission charge.